I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I provide psychotherapy primarily to individuals and couples. I have in-depth training in relational therapy, as well as trauma and post-traumatic symptoms. I have worked extensively in GLBTQ communities, and with non-traditional couples and families. I work with a wide range of clients. I treat adolescents and adults in individual, couples, or group sessions. My expertise is in working with people who have a history of traumatic or transitional experiences. I have also helped people struggling with identity-related issues, including those of gender, sexual orientation, class, and ethnicity. I tend to work from a depth-oriented model of treatment, meaning I work with the client to address underlying issues causing symptoms with the goal of creating long-term change and relief.

I’m Kirstin Carl, LMFT, an Encino therapist with nearly 20 years of experience working with adults and couples around trauma, attachment, dating and relationship patterns, and parenting. Many of the people I work with have spent years trying to understand why certain patterns keep repeating. You may find yourself overthinking relationships, struggling to trust your own perceptions, becoming overwhelmed by conflict or distance, or taking responsibility for other people’s feelings. Earlier relationships and experiences can shape how we respond to closeness, uncertainty, rejection, and vulnerability long after we begin understanding those patterns intellectually. My approach is attachment-based, relational, and trauma-informed, with attention to how emotions and experiences show up in the body. Together, we pay attention not only to what happened in the past, but to what is happening in the present: your emotions, body responses, relationship patterns, and the ways you respond when you feel hurt, confused, overwhelmed, or disconnected. Therapy with me is collaborative, warm, and direct. I want you to feel genuinely seen and understood, while also having room to look closely at patterns that may no longer be working for you. My goal is to help you trust what you feel and need, respond differently when old patterns get activated, and build relationships where you can be close to others without losing sight of yourself. I offer in-person therapy in Encino and online therapy throughout California.

I have helped clients process complex sexual trauma and emotional abuse, neglect and abandonment. I also work with depression, anxiety, loss and attachment issues, as well as Chronic and Terminal illnesses such as Epilepsy, Breast cancer.

Welcome! My name is Vanessa Villasenor and am located at a group practice, A Place of Growth that is located in San Diego, and provides therapy to those throughout San Diego and also throughout the State of California via phone and online counseling. We want to provide a safe place for you to grow. Please contact us to begin your path to improving your overall health. Our mental health is important and should be treated just as important as we take care of our physical health. At A Place of Growth, we provide therapy to those with anxiety, depression, trauma, current medical illnesses to all age ranges including young children.

My approach to helping individuals is based on respect, validation, and acknowledgement of their experiences and struggles in life. Finding a person that can accept us despite our life choices is often difficult. Feelings of judgment, insecurity, and guilt may prevent many from breaking free from their past and moving forward. This stress may often appear not just psychologically but also physiologically (somatization) through frequent illness, etc. The process of breaking free is often lonely and intimidating. I will support you through your unique journey of moving forward and achieving the confidence you need to thrive and feel empowered. I will also help you better understand how stress may be impacting your physical health and ways of shifting this cycle.

You know something isn't working. Maybe you're successful on paper but feel disconnected from your partner, your kids, yourself. Maybe anger keeps showing up when you don't want it to, or you're stuck in a cycle of anxiety that you've been powering through for years. Maybe you're going through a divorce and the ground has shifted under your feet. You've been handling things on your own for a long time. But "handling it" isn't the same as actually dealing with it and you're starting to feel the cost. Here's what I want you to know: You don't need to have it all figured out before you call. You don't need to know the right words. You just need to be willing to be honest about where you are. I've spent 20 years working with men who are navigating exactly these kinds of crossroads, relationship breakdowns, career pressure, identity questions, the weight of being the one who holds everything together. I'm direct, I'm practical, and I won't waste your time. We'll figure out what's actually going on, what you want, and how to get there. My approach draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Gestalt, but what that means in plain language is this: we'll look at the patterns driving your behavior, understand where they came from, build real skills for managing your emotions and relationships, and get you moving toward the life you actually want. I also work extensively with couples. If your relationship is strained and you're not sure whether to stay or go, that's exactly the kind of moment I help people navigate. Ready to talk? Call me at 858-901-6274 for a free 15-minute consultation. You'll tell me what's going on, I'll tell you how I'd approach it, and you can decide if it feels like the right fit. No pressure, no commitment. Just a conversation.

I specialize in supporting adults facing cancer and other serious or life limiting illnesses. With over 20 years in Palliative and Hospice care, I help adults and families navigate through complex medical decisions, challenging family dynamics, and end-of-life concerns. I also work with caregivers and healthcare professionals experiencing burnout and emotional fatigue. When you or someone you love is facing cancer or another serious condition, everything can feel uncertain. Together we can make space for the parts of you that feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or scared, and the ones trying to stay strong, so you don’t have to carry this alone. I help adults and families navigate the emotional impact of cancer and other chronic or terminal illnesses. I facilitate California's End of Life Option Act and help people cope through change, loss, and uncertainty. Whether we are working through grief, anxiety, burnout, or overwhelm, my goal is to help clients find clarity, meaning, and emotional balance.

Feeling sad, isolated, and anxious? Relief and solutions are within reach. I'll help you get in control of your situation, uncover the causes of your pain, and teach you effective ways to resolve past, present, and future problems. You'll be heard and listened to in a safe, warm environment, while receiving constructive feedback. You'll learn how to create happier relationships with the significant people in your life by addressing past losses and reevaluating expectations. You'll create and realize a vision for your life by setting and implementing goals via baby steps. I help people overcome anxiety attacks, depression, and losses. I help people develop effective parenting plans for children with or without special needs. I also coach individuals through divorce. I specialize in helping remarried couples with children develop a happy, united, and functional family unit. Get more information from my website; it houses a free monthly newsletter, books for families, answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and more.

In these stressful times of uncertainly and loss, it can feel overwhelming and hard navigate all of life's responsibilities. It can be especially challenging if you're already in the midst of a life transition. Whether you just had a new baby, recently got married or divorced, are experiencing conflict within your relationship, went through a traumatic event, such as a sexual assault, medical crisis or death, or just want to gain a better understanding of yourself and your place in the world, I can offer support and expertise. Collaboration, awareness, and transformation are key components to my therapy practice. I work hard to build trust, safety and comfort, respecting each client's individuality. My training in attachment theory, somatic interventions and neurobiology will help to aid our work and heal the wounds of relationships and traumas while building healthy coping skills. We will work mindfully, integrating our bodies, breath and physical selves whenever possible, aiming to deepen the mind and body connection. Reaching out to a new therapist can often feel anxiety provoking. That first phone call or email is the hardest part! I aim to make the process as comfortable as possible, while making sure we're a good fit. I offer a free phone consultation to help with the transition.

I believe in the strength of the person (s) coming to therapy, and their ability to heal themselves with some guidance. If someone is motivated to find assistance in their journey, then they are already half way through the challenge. My clients come to tell their story, both verbally and through the observance and tracking of the bodily sensations tied to the emotions and experiences they've had. I work well with clients who are willing to experience a little discomfort in order to reach a more balanced place in their lives. I use humor, an edgy style, and a supportive tone with my clients. I also offer yoga for stress, trauma, anxiety and depression, both in private lessons and as part of the psychotherapy session. I give individual and group (at yoga studios) Yoga Nidra sessions to increase nervous system regulation.